Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

MATTHEW 22:9KJV
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Matthew 22:9 (KJV)

What does Matthew 22:9 mean?

Matthew 22:9 records Jesus telling his listeners, through a parable, to go out into the main roads and invite everyone they find to a wedding feast. The verse shows an open invitation being extended to all kinds of people, not just a select group.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to a crowd, including religious leaders, using a story about a king hosting a wedding banquet for his son. The king’s original guests refused to come, so he commands his servants to go out to the highways and invite anyone they encounter. The verse highlights the king’s desire to fill his banquet with guests, no matter who they are or where they come from.

The Greek behind Matthew 22:9

  • ἐξέρχεσθε (ye, G4198, transliterated "exerchesthe") means "go out" or "depart," emphasizing an active movement away from the original group toward a wider audience.
  • διεξόδους (highways, G1327, transliterated "diexodous") refers to crossroads or main roads, suggesting places where many different people pass by, not just the familiar or expected guests.
  • καλέσατε (bid, G2564, transliterated "kalesate") means "call" or "invite," showing that the invitation is not just a suggestion but a purposeful act of welcoming.
  • γάμους (marriage, G1062, transliterated "gamous") means "wedding feast," which in the parable stands for a joyful, important event that the king wants to share widely.

Why Matthew 22:9 matters

  • Matthew 22:9 clarifies that the invitation to the king’s banquet is not limited to a privileged or expected group; it is intentionally extended to anyone found, breaking social and religious boundaries.
  • The verse shifts the focus from those who refused the invitation to the openness and generosity of the king, which echoes the broader message of Jesus about God’s kingdom being open to all.
  • Understanding this verse helps make sense of the rest of the parable, where both good and bad people are gathered in, showing that the king’s priority is a full celebration, not the background or status of the guests.

Where else these words appear

“marriage” Greek G1062 · used in 16 verses

  • Matthew 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
  • Matthew 22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
  • John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

“highways” Greek G3598 · used in 99 verses

  • Matthew 2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
  • Mark 10:46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
  • Acts 9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

“as” Greek G3745 · used in 104 verses

  • Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
  • Luke 12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
  • Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

“bid” Greek G2564 · used in 138 verses

  • Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
  • Luke 8:2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
  • Romans 9:26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.